Zimbabweans in Cape Town are flocking to the country’s newly reopened consulate in the city to seek assistance.

The consulate at 55 Kuyper Street, Zonneblom was closed for five years, meaning Zimbabweans living in Cape Town had to travel to Pretoria to have documentation from their home country processed but since the consulate reopened last week, up to 60 Zimbabweans are having their documents processed every day.

It cost R250 to apply for a new passport and R110 for a birth certificate.

But while the applications are processed at the consulate, applicants have to send their completed forms to family in Zimbabwe for processing by the department of home affairs there

On Monday dozens of Zimbabwean immigrants – mainly women with children – were at the consulate applying for birth certificates for their children.

Other people had come to make enquiries and an official could be seen on the forecourt assisting them.

Abigail Danga, 32, who had come for apply for a passport, was relieved she would not have to spend money travelling to Pretoria for assistance.

Arnold Gavara, 28, suggested that it would be better if the Zimbabwean government opened an online application platform, rather than having to fill out forms and courier them to Zimbabwe for processing

Refugee rights lobby group People Against Suffering and Poverty (Passop), has welcomed the reopening the consulate, saying there were many Zimbabweans who needed passports, birth certificates and at times death certificates from the Zimbabwe state. – Francis Hweshe

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